Star Wars actor slams spin-offs ahead of Mandalorian season 3 | Films | Entertainment

Star Wars fans have been given an abundance of content over the past few years. But instead of major blockbusters hitting the big screen, the content has been TV shows delivered on the Disney Plus streaming service. A week from now, the third season of Disney’s most popular franchise, The Mandalorian, will arrive, continuing the story of Din Djarin, Luke Skywalker and Baby Yoda (Grogu). But Liam Neeson has not become a fan of the series since its transition to the small screen.

Fans will recall Neeson played the stoic yet powerful Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn in the first Star Wars prequel movie: The Phantom Menace. In it, he mentored Ewan McGregor as he played Obi-Wan Kenobi for the first time, and welcomed a young Anakin Skywalker to the world of the Jedi.

He was killed off in the film, but has just been asked if he would make a comeback – and it’s bad news. Neeson appeared on the Watch What Happens Live! show with Paul Rudd earlier this month where he was quizzed if was interested in reprising his role as Qui-Gon.

“No, I’m not,” he announced, before explaining that it is the various Star Wars TV shows that have put him off the idea of returning.

Neeson said: “There are so many spin-offs of Star Wars. It’s diluting it to me.” He added that the series’ “mystery and magic” have been taken away from him “in a weird way” because of the various TV shows.

Neeson can only be referring to a handful of Disney Plus TV shows that have been released in recent years. The Mandalorian is the most popular to date, earning a staggering 95 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Likewise, the recently released Andor received incredible reviews once it hit the streaming service. Meanwhile, The Book of Boba Fett was critically panned, earning a 52 percent rotten score. And they haven’t stopped there – with an Ahsoka Tano series on its way to the franchise as well.

Despite Neeson’s complaints about the Star Wars series, he previously confessed he would make a comeback – on one condition.

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Neeson told ComicBook.com he “thinks” he would make a comeback: “If it was a film.”

He added: “Yeah, I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to TV, I must admit. I just like the big screen, you know? Qui-Gon – I can’t believe it’s 24 years since we made The Phantom Menace – I just cannot believe where the time has gone.”

Reminiscing about shooting The Phantom Menace, he added: “It was a terrific experience, shooting that film in London.”

Neeson previously made a brief cameo in the 2019 film The Rise of Skywalker. During Rey Skywalker’s final battle against the Emperor, she summoned the Force ghosts of all previous Jedi knights – including Qui-Gon Jin. At this moment, fans could hear his voice helping Rey in her battle.

Still, it’s never too late for a former Jedi Knight to make a comeback to the series. Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill returned as the Jedi warrior in 2017’s The Last Jedi – 34 years after his previous appearance in 1983’s Return of the Jedi.

Luke’s story hasn’t ended there, either. A de-aged Hamill made a triumphant comeback in the final episode of The Mandalorian season two when he saved Grogu from the dark troopers.

He returned once again in The Book of Boba Fett in a mid-season switch-up while helping out Din Djarin.

The Star Wars franchise is available to watch on Disney Plus now.